Interconnects and non-believers

At this time, I would like to promote a high end, labor intensive, patented design IC from my friend at http://www.groverhuffman.com/interconnects He also has an Empress + (at $450/m) and the new Pharoah ICs (at $1,000/m). A common thread in this discussion is the problem of consistently achieving uniform sonic results from a cable from various equipment. Often, cables are touted as mere tone controls. With Mr. Huffman’s cables, there are tonal balance differences; however, the overall neutrality and high definition allow his cables to extract great sonic results from a broad range of equipment. In my own home, I use his Empress cables on my 2nd audio system and both video/audio systems which include a highly modified Dynaco ST70 and custom tube pre-amp as well as audio/video Yamaha CR620 receivers and associated cable, blu-ray, other analog front end equipment. I use his Pharaoh on my main system for the pre-amp-amp and CD player with Empress cables throughout the analog chain.

At several of the past Los Angeles audio shows, we’ve had high end booths demonstrate using Mr. Huffman’s wires. With no real inventory due to their high demand and labor intensive manufacturing, despite pleas from the demonstrators, we couldn’t leave the cabling for more than an hour at any one room. Some of the rooms were using the dreadful High Fidelity and Transparent Audio cables which also sell for enormous amounts and ruined the demonstrations. Someday, Mr. Huffman would like to try his cabling against Mastersounds cabling made for Von Schweikert whose demonstrations are fantastic (as agreed upon by at least seven equipment reviewers in the past three years on-line and my wife and I).

So, cabling can enhance or ruin a music system. It can be system dependent; however, good quality cabling should resolve the best qualities of the equipment. Unfortunately, there is equipment for which no cabling can help make more sonically enjoyable.

I want Goner's to note that Mr. Huffman has had a problem selling to high enders due to low prices.  They regularly dismiss his cabling telling him it couldn't be as good as their $10,000-$20,000/m. cabling based on cost alone.  Too bad for them.  It challenged him to continue improving an already proven design.  He came out with his super neutral, super extended Pharaoh ICs at a higher price point to combat price competition at the high end. 

I agree with Elizabeth about purchasing inexpensive gear that sounds great.  My 2nd audio system uses a Pioneer DV-05 from 1998, a dual laser DVD player available for $50 on ebay everyday; however, it is modified at the audio and power stages with six big caps and a $450 powercord.  It is 98% as good as my $6000 EAR Acute.  For both my video/audio systems, I cheaped out and went with Yamaha CR-620s, great sound for little money, of course using superior ICs for it.  I should try SR-Blue fuses in it someday (the video systems are plugged into SR-Red Duplexes for better picture and sound).  

GroverHuffman cables require a break-in period of no less than 15 hours. He won’t audition a design until it is broken-in. I usually cook them for over a day prior to listening to them (listening to his unbroken-in cables one tends to hear dynamically and frequency constricted sound, often bright). Speakers need breaking in, capacitors need breaking-in, cartridges need breaking-in, who doesn’t believe that? So do other components mechanical and electrical.

To achieve power purity, where I live in California, all one has to do is install a solar or wind generation system with adequate battery storage, adequate to get off the grid. Much cheaper than a power plant but more than the Japanese enthusiast who hooked up to the utility pole (which could be sending contaminated power anyway).

rvpiano-I second your opinion!

I'm with sisyphus51, prof is boring.  I'm on this thread because I hear differences in break-in periods of components (parts of electronics, wiring, speakers) and believe in differences between them despite possible identical electrical measurements.  There is (are multiple) something missing still in the scientific community in it's ability to measure acoustic and electrical properties relevant to each other. 

I do not hear break-in periods of vibration devices such as Stillpoints or acoustic treatments such as Synergistic Research HFTs or Hallographs.   They are inert with no electrical properties that require a break-in period.  

The Cable Company allows one to test out any particular cable they carry on their own system.  How much better can it be for an in-home audition made suitable to one's own equipment and room acoustics?  

I just posted this over at the whose an expert/guru forum:
I say that prof is a noru (not a guru) and of no interest to me. He doesn't elicit any information I can use to analyze anything. Just a lot of wind. I'll stick to reading teo for information. I'm no guru, I just write about my own experiences experimenting with tweaks and my own equipment. I have heard dozens of high end systems to compare sound with. If it sounds like music, it doesn't have to be a high end system, just pleasant. If it is high end, it better sound like enjoyable music or something's wrong with the room, equipment or symbiotic relationship of the equipment.

Yes, the speaker forum is much more interesting as it has posters like you who report on their direct use of the speakers, even in head to head comparisons.

However, cables have a great effect on audio reproduction systems, whether expensive or inexpensive.  I prefer Monster Cable 300 (originals) to any High Fidelity magnet cables or Transparent Audio cables.  The latter two cable companies products sounded awful in over a dozen systems I heard with equipment I was familiar with and sounding good to great with less costly cables, including GroverHuffman cabling.  One friend who has a $500,000 audio room with $850,000 in equipment (now down $75,000 to sale of cables)  sold all his High Fidelity cables and replaced them with about $3,500 of GroverHuffman cables.  Cables, like tubes, are system dependent.  However, poorly designed cables just sound awful whereas modern equipment using new stock lesser quality tubes are voiced to sound great (i.e. VAC equipment).  

Despite having ample funds to buy expensive, high end cables, I found a manufacturer who provides great sounding cables for a reasonable price (like my friends).  I will never purchase cabling that is more expensive than my equipment.  Some of the best sounding systems at audio shows used reasonably priced cabling (although my favorite system was the von Schweikert/VAC/Kronos system using expensive Mastersound cabling owned by von Schweikert)

No, I said that the Mastersound sounded great but was very expensive.  In that case, this cable maybe worth the money.  I am considering purchasing von Schweikert VR55-Aktives, or Einsteins or the Lumenlight White Light, all about the same price.  These three speakers are very efficient and easy to drive.  I still need to audition the first two.  As to cables, the lower priced GroverHuffmans will do.  

Yes, MasterBuilt, sorry.